


Terms of endearment

by virtuous_contract



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy 7, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Betaed, Birthday, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Polyamory Negotiations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:54:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25202002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/virtuous_contract/pseuds/virtuous_contract
Summary: Zack rolled his eyes but couldn’t stop himself smiling at Cloud’s enthusiastic expression. Amongst all of the birthday gifts he could have received, these were pretty easy going. Who can really argue with cake and liquor?Cloud finds a way of supporting Zack after Angeal's death and presents it on Zack's birthday.This is my contribution toSlice of Clack 2020. Week two: celebration.
Relationships: Zack Fair/Cloud Strife
Comments: 4
Kudos: 20
Collections: Slice of Clack: July 2020





	Terms of endearment

**Author's Note:**

> This has been betaed by my trusty companion in writing [Cate Sith](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CateSith).

Cloud was standing outside Zack’s door and gave it a measured knock. He couldn’t hear the footsteps, but soon enough, Zack came to open it. 

“Spike, I said I didn’t want to celebrate.” Zack sounded a little bit grumpy when he opened the door.

“I know, but you know, I wanted to.” Cloud produced a medium-sized paper bag from behind his back. “For you.”

Zack took the bag but looked annoyed. He peeked inside and found only two items, granted, two very good items. One was a box from ‘Flan’, his favourite café in the theatre district, and a bottle that he assumed was hard liquor. 

“Okay, fine. Fine fine fine.” Zack rolled his eyes but couldn’t stop himself smiling at Cloud’s expectant expression. He stepped aside to let Cloud in. Amongst all of the birthday gifts he could have gotten, these were pretty easy going. Who can really argue with cake and liquor?

Apparently, Cloud was very excited about it all because he jumped with both feet over the threshold before stepping on his own heels to take his shoes off and kiss Zack on the cheek. 

“Easy there, chocobo-butt, you’re not in the races y’know.” Zack chuckled, pecked Cloud on the mouth and walked into the kitchen part of his combined living room and kitchen.

Cloud followed him with glittering eyes and then hopped up to sit on the kitchen island.

“Wow, how exciting can this be? We’re together all the time,” Zack asked, trying to keep his cool for a little while longer, but Cloud always made it so hard. He got a plate, put two glasses next to Cloud and opened the cake box.

Inside was the prettiest-looking strawberry tart he’d ever seen. It was covered with white, matte frosting, had perfectly sliced strawberries on top, coated with a transparent, glistening layer that made it look more like a display behind a looking glass than something edible. Okay, he might have seen it many times in the shop, and he might have eaten it too, but it was his favourite and it made him very happy that Cloud had remembered. They’d never been there together after all, and he couldn’t even remember mentioning it.

“This is perfect, thank you.” He looked up at Cloud, who was nearly bouncing where he sat. He had to stifle another laugh. He’d promised himself he wouldn’t enjoy today too much. It was his first birthday after Angeal, and it just seemed wrong to be too happy. Foolishly, he’d come to believe that he’d live out the rest of his days with Angeal by his side. Yeah, no. That hadn’t gone as planned at all.

“My mom made the wine. She sends me a bottle every year. It’s made of a local berry in Nibelheim,” Cloud said with a beaming smile.

“Oh, well then, I guess I better be honoured to receive it. Wanna share the cake with me?” Ok, the timeslot to be cool was pretty much gone already, so instead he caught Cloud’s gaze and batted his eyelashes exaggeratedly. He put it down as a tie, because colour rose to Cloud’s cheeks but his heart skipped a beat, so. He just hadn’t gotten used to the new dimension in their relationship. The one that allowed him to see Cloud naked, kiss him and…

“Yeah, give me a spoon,” Cloud said and skipped down to the floor.

They sat down at the kitchen island next to each other and Zack poured the wine.

“Happy birthday, Zack,” Cloud said, a little more toned down.

“Thanks,” Zack smiled the smile of someone who was about to drink to forget and that didn’t surprise Cloud a bit.

Cloud peeled a thin layer of the cake onto his spoon and mindfully brought it to his mouth. “Shit, this is amazing!” burst out cheerfully.

“Yeah, well, I have good taste,” Zack smiled, downed his wine and quickly refilled his glass.

“Hey, I think I should be the one refilling that!” Cloud exclaimed in mock-offense and stole Zack’s glass, downed the rose-gold colour liquid and put it back on the table to refill it.

“Wow, that makes no sense at all,” Zack chuckled and shoved a large spoonful of cake into his mouth. It was an inelegant gesture, but the pleasant, peaceful look spreading on his face as he chewed made up for it. Worth every gil, Cloud thought, the warmth in his chest simmering warmer.

“It’s tradition!” Cloud laughed and raised his glass for a toast. “Would it be in bad taste to toast Angeal on your birthday?” he said, a little hesitantly.

“Nah, not really. I just didn’t want a big thing today. With you, it’s fine,” Zack said with a hint of tiredness in his suddenly serious tone. “To Angeal, who… got me this far, I guess,” he smiled faintly and brought his glass against Cloud’s.

They downed their drinks in silence.

“Do you like the wine?” Cloud asked, switching to a lighter topic.

“Yeah! Sorry, I forgot to say so, I didn’t mean any disrespect,” Zack blurted and lowered his head, his thoughts clearly still on Angeal.

“Oh! No, I know,” Cloud put his hand on Zack’s arm and slid it up to gently pull Zack into a hug.

“Thanks, Cloud. I’m glad you’re here,” Zack mumbled against the golden spikes that tickled his face. Then he hugged Cloud back. It was a little awkward while sitting on the high, hard chairs but that didn’t matter. He hadn’t considered that maybe it wouldn’t be great to be alone on his birthday, to have all his time free to think about the fact that Angeal wasn’t there. Last year Angeal had thrown him a big party and after the party had been even better, when it had just been the two of them. 

“Ugh,” Zack groaned at the memory that made him sad and pulled himself even closer to Cloud. Then Zack’s enhancements gave him some interesting distractions. He could clearly hear how Cloud’s heart rate was picking up, and his breathing too. Oh gods, he smiled, to tease Cloud was so tempting. Too tempting.

He eased himself out of the hug but kept his face close to Cloud’s, close enough for his nose to graze the shell of Cloud’s ear before he asked in a low, quiet voice, “Whatcha thinking about Cloud?”

Cloud flinched away from Zack in surprise, offering a perfect view of his now red face. “Oh, nothing. Just what you’d wish for your birthday.”

Too cute, Cloud was too cute, Zack thought and felt heat stir deep in his stomach.

“Would you give it to me, if I told you what it was?” Zack took Cloud’s hand that was balancing a piece of cake on the spoon and pulled it to his own mouth, a lot more suggestively than before, all while holding Cloud’s gaze.

“Zack! Come on!” Cloud protested and looked away, the redness spreading down his neck as he tried to yank his hand back, but Zack held it firmly in his and caressed it with his other hand, light touches that were barely there, making him swell in his pants and ache for more.

Zack smiled devilishly and leaned in for a kiss but received only a quick peck from Cloud who had an exquisite look of embarrassment and reluctance on his face.

“Let’s move to the sofa!” Cloud mumbled, hopped down from his chair and took his glass and the bottle along with him to the coffee table.

“Pffft.” Zack grinned and grabbed his glass and the cake and followed. The sofa was more make-out friendly anyway. 

Cloud gave Zack a stern look. “You always divert to sex when you’re sad,” he said while tucking himself into a corner of the sofa. Zack shrugged, looking a little guilty at being found out.

“So, I’ve been thinking about something, but I’m not sure it’s a good idea. Like, you might take this the wrong way…” Cloud leaned closer to Zack again with a serious expression on his face.

“Oh?” Zack crept up on the sofa, wide-eyed, folding his legs under him, hanging on Cloud’s words.

Cloud hesitated a moment before he continued. He’d debated this for weeks, but at last he’d decided to go with his hunch. “Zack, would you like me to call you puppy?”

Zack’s eyes went wide with surprise, and then his face twisted momentarily with pain, his eyes turning wet until his face settled into a sad smile. “Is this another birthday present?”

“I guess, kinda.” Cloud said and took Zack’s hand in his, unwilling to dive into a tangent of birthday presents.

Zack studied Cloud’s face carefully as he spoke, “Only if you don’t do it while thinking of yourself as a replacement for Angeal.”

A release of tension made Cloud’s shoulders drop. “I don’t. It would be an honour to be trusted with his term of endearment for you.” Cloud said truthfully. He’d thought maybe it would offer Zack some sense of continuity amongst his loved ones. Maybe it could be his way of showing acceptance of Zack’s other relationships. He thought that maybe it would help Zack move on, a reminder that Angeal wasn’t forgotten even if Zack could be happy without him.

“Then yes.” Thick tears rolled down Zack’s cheeks, painting them with relief, sadness, longing and gratefulness before they were carefully wiped away by Cloud. “I would really like that.”

“Oh! I- I’m so glad! I know you miss him. I do too, for your sake,” Cloud said and wrapped his arms around his dearest friend.

“Shit, I totally forget how well you know me sometimes.” Zack mumbled and climbed into Cloud’s lap. He was sure it looked a bit silly, him in the lap of the smaller Cloud, but he didn’t care. Neither did Cloud, who just welcomed him with generous caresses and a soft hum.

“Uuh, I feel so sad and so happy at the same time. It’s so confusing! Why do you have to come here to confuse me?!” Zack snivelled and chuckled softly at the same, underlining his words.

“’Cause I love you, puppy,” Cloud said a little awkwardly, but the warmth in his voice sent a pleasant shiver down Zack’s spine and made his chest overflow with both love and sadness.

“Cloud,” Zack groaned into the crook of Cloud’s neck, “can we sex now? Please?”

Cloud gave a small sad little smile. He leaned over to the coffee table and scooped some cake up with his index finger and brought it to Zack’s mouth. “Sure birthday-boy. Whatever you want.”

**Author's Note:**

> Look! No smut! What's going on?! Who am I?! -___-;;


End file.
